When you decide to have a baby, one of the big decisions you have to make is how you will choose to feed your baby. For some this will be an easy decision, for others it will be harder. Do you plan on breastfeeding your child? Or bottle feeding with formula? Or exclusively pumping and bottle feeding your breastmilk? Or a combination of these? There are benefits and potential drawbacks to both. Ultimately, fed is best. But today I will be talking about breastfeeding. Stay tuned for my blog post regarding bottle feeding next month.

As a mom of three young girls and a NICU nurse, I have experienced firsthand and seen through my job many of the benefits and hardships of breastfeeding. Many moms go into this journey wanting to exclusively breastfeed their baby and expect everything to be easy and perfect. While sometimes this is the case, more often than not there will be challenges along the way. I do not say this to discourage you from breastfeeding. I breastfed all three of my girls and it was so important to me, and I very much value the benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk. But I have seen too many moms not be prepared for what the journey entails and I want to help educate you so you’ll be a little more prepared.

First, let’s talk about the benefits of breastfeeding. There are many, and they include the following:

• Breastmilk provides important antibodies for your baby
• Breastmilk is easier to digest, and therefore is often gentler on your baby’s GI system
• Breastfeeding provides important bonding time between you and your baby
• Breastfed babies often have less infections
• Breastfeeding lowers your (mom’s) chances of getting certain types of cancers
• Breastfeeding is free
• As long as you are with your baby, you have an instant method to feed your baby

All of these are important benefits for your baby and if you’re able to provide breastmilk for them, that’s great!

There are a few potential downfalls to breastfeeding, including:

• Some moms can’t produce enough milk to fully provide for their baby
• Mom always has to be the one to feed baby unless you pump
• Some moms are uncomfortable breastfeeding in certain environments and society sometimes shuns moms who breastfeed in public
• Breastfeeding is not always easy
• If you have to go back to work, then you will need to pump to keep up with your supply
• Some babies develop allergies, which means you have to cut certain foods out of your diet (I am personally very familiar with this one!)

One of my biggest pieces of advice when it comes to preparing to breastfeed (especially for first time moms) is to take a prenatal breastfeeding class before you deliver. This will help you learn different positions, learn about a proper latch, learn trouble-shooting techniques/ideas, and get to practice with a baby doll beforehand. Do your research. Talk to other moms if you’re comfortable doing so. I also strongly suggest picking a pediatrician’s office that provides lactation support if possible. The more you can prepare ahead of time, the better. As natural as breastfeeding should be (God created our bodies to be able to do this), it’s not always as easy and natural as it seems. It can definitely be a learning process for both mom and baby.

Here are some quick tips when it comes to breastfeeding. If you already know about these, then great! But if anything here is new to you, I urge you to look further into it.

• Signs of hunger: rooting (moving head side to side looking for food), bringing hands to their mouth. Crying is a late sign of hunger.
• Positions: cradle hold, cross-cradle hold, football hold, side-lying position. There are more, but these are the most common. Find what works best for you and your baby.
• Latching your baby: position your baby nose to nipple, stroke your nipple downward from baby’s nose to lips, when baby opens wide then quickly (but lovingly!) pull your baby to your breast; make sure your baby has your entire nipple and as much areola as possible in their mouth; baby’s lips should be phalanged out
• Baby’s suckling technique: initially your baby will show short, quick sucks for the first few minutes, but once your milk lets down you will notice that your baby’s sucks become longer and slower; if you pay attention, you should be able to hear audible swallows from your baby; in the beginning, you may need to massage your breast as your baby feeds to help hand express milk which will encourage them to keep eating if they are having trouble.
• Let your baby finish feeding completely on one side before switching to the other side. This will ensure that your baby gets the fattier hindmilk and not just the foremilk. Some babies will only eat on one side per feed while others will want to nurse from both sides each feed.
• Colostrum is the nutrient-dense breastmilk that your body produces during the first few days after giving birth before your milk comes in. It takes up to 3-5 days for your milk to come in. This is completely fine and how it’s supposed to work. Unless there are medical indications that your baby needs more, try not to stress that your baby isn’t getting enough in the beginning.
• Signs that your baby is getting enough milk: One thing that can be stressful for moms is not knowing if their baby is getting enough to eat. While you can’t measure the exact amount your baby is getting while breastfeeding, there are some signs that will help you know your baby is getting enough milk. These include having 6-8 wet diapers per day, stooling on their regular schedule, gaining appropriate weight at their pediatrician appointments, waking up and having the energy to eat, hearing audible swallows while they breastfeed, feeling your breasts soften after your baby eats, and your baby acting satisfied and showing periods of contentment in between feeds

I hope this information is helpful to you and I wish you the best on your breastfeeding journey!